Spring support for truck bodies



June 10, 1969 w. GORGE ET AL 3,448,993

SPRING SUPPORT FOR TRUCK BODIES Griginal Filed Dec. 16, 1964 Sheet of 3 Fe .2 W Werner Gor e Alozls Maser ATTORNEYJ June 10, 1969 w. GORGE ET AL 3,448,993

, SPRING SUPPORT FOR TRUCK BODIES v Original Filed Dec. 15, 1964 Sheet 3- of 3 INVENTORS Werner Gorge AlozlsMaser ATTORNEYS June 10, 1969 W. GORGE ET AL SPRING SUPPORT FOR TRUCK BODIES Original Filed Dec. 16, 1964 Sheet 3 of 3 mvmons Werner Gar e Alpz's Maser ATTORNEYJ United States Patent 3,448,993 SPRING SUPPORT FOR TRUCK BODIES Werner Gorge, Gauting, and Alois Moser, Dachau, Germany, assignors to Maschiuenfabrik Augsburg-Numberg AG, Munich, Germany Original application Dec. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 418,708, now Patent No. 3,315,980. Divided and this application Apr. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 558,527 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 23, 1963, M 59,366; Nov. 14, 1964, M 63,123 Int. Cl. B62d 63/04, 53/06 US. Cl. 280124 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a truck having a front cabin carrying portion joined to a rear load carrying portion, the joint is such that the front and rear portions are vertically movable with respect to each other against the action of an opposed pair of springs.

This is a division of Ser. No. 418,708, filed Dec. 16, 1964, now Patent No. 3,315,980.

This invention relates to an improved spring support for a truck body.

Cargo trucks which are commonly used are ordinarily trucks having their bodies carried entirely on the frame of the truck and tractor-trailer trucks having two or more axles. The weight of the truck body carrying the payload is, in 'both types of trucks, transferred to the frame of the truck and then to the wheel springs on the wheel axles and/ or to the structural elements that support and guide the wheels. In the ordinary truck, the frame supports the entire weight of the body, while in tractor-trailer trucks, the tractor frame carries the front end of the trailer by means of a so-called saddle and thus the tactor frame carries a corresponding portion of the Weight of the trailer and its cargo,

The difficulty of providing an appropriate spring suspension for the vehicle increases as the payload relationship of the vehicle rises. Especially in tractor-trailer trucks, varying and harmful vibrations occur because the loading on the tractor saddle varies considerably.

Also, the vehicle frame must be sturdily constructed in order to carry maximum payloads without damage.

An object of this invention is to produce a spring support for ordinary trucks and tractor-trailer trucks which has an optimum spring support and decreases the stress placed on the tuck frame without incurring the abovedescribed disadvantages.

In thi invention, spring means are provided for carrying the load of a truck body to the wheels by way of the axles and/or the wheel guiding members. In this invention, at least a portion of the weight of the truck body is carried by the wheel spring means for the wheel, as well as, and/ or, the wheel guiding members, and the remaining portion of the weight of the body is carried by body spring means.

A vehicle according to this invention has a separate spring suspension for the truck body, as well as a separate spring suspension for the truck frame, and thus the weight of the body and the frame are independently spring-supported at least as much as possible so that an optimum spring suspension can be chosen for-the truck body and for the truck frame. The payload relationship which is carried by the spring-supported truck bod can be chosen in such a manner that optimum adjustment of the spring suspension can be obtained. The vehicle thus has a very good spring suspension relationship. Furthermore, the vehicle frame is in any event only placed under 3,448,993 Patented June 10, 1969 a little stress from a portion of the payload so that it can be constructed more simply and lighter than has heretofore been possible.

In this invention, longitudinally extending or transversely extending cross levers are used for the direct transfer of a portion of the weight of the truck body onto wheel support means such as the axles and/or wheel guiding members, and these levers are designed for proper weight distribution. These are very easily constructed. In one form of the invention, a lever extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle is used, which lever is pivotally connected at one and to the vehicle frame on a transverse axis and whose other end is supported on the wheel axles and/or wheel guide members. The weight of the truck body is carried by the lever at some point between the ends.

In another form of the invention, the frame of the vehicle is extended by a lever, and to which lever the wheels are attached, A body spring is inserted between the lever and the rear end of the vehicle frame.

When the vehicle has two or more axles within the range of the spring suspension, then an equalizing beam is used between the wheel axles and the levers for distributing the weight of the body to the axles.

The means by which the objects of the invention are obtained are described more fully with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the rear end of a tractortrailer truck showing the spring support of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of a truck showing a modifield form of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of a further modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a similar view of still another form of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a side view of a truck showing a further form of the invention; and

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are detail views of modifications of the spring support shown in FIGURE 5.

In FIGURE 1, only the rear end of a tractor frame 1 is shown. The back wheels 2 are mounted on a wheel sup port means composed of an axle 2' which is joined to a leaf spring 3, there being a leaf spring for each rear wheel. The front end of the leaf spring is held by a bolt 4 to a bracket secured to frame 1, while the rear end of the spring is connected to a similar bracket by means of a double link 5. Springs 3 are the wheel springs.

Frame 1 is composed of two parallel members connected by crossbeams. One of the crossbeams carries a joint 6 connecting lever 7 with frame 1. The rotational axis of joint 6 is directed transversely of the longitudinal axis of frame 1. Preferably this joint has a resilient rubber bearing so that lever 7 is pivotally connected to frame 1 by a universal-type joint freely movable in all directions within limits. Joint 6 is positioned in the vertical plane of the longitudinal center line of frame 1. The rear end of lever 7 is engaged with body spring means composed of a spring 8 which rests on the axle 2 A pivot joint 9 having its longitudinal axis directed transversely of the frame 1 supports the weight of the trailer body 10 at a point intermediate of the ends of the lever. This point is in the vertical plane of the longitudinal center line of frame 1 at a distance between joint 6 and spring 8 which depends upon the loading characteristics for the particular weight supported.

Joint 6 transfers a portion of the weight of the body to frame 1 and thus to springs 3, and another portion of the weight to lever 7 and spring 8 and thus to axle 2'. The portion of the weight of body 10 transferred through lever 7 to spring 8 is determined by the lever ratio as shown by the distances a and 1. By means of a corresponding ratio, an optimum proportion of the Weight of body is transferred through joint 9 to frame 1 and thus to springs 3. If the entire weight is to be transferred through lever 7, then the joint 6, the axle 2 and the spring 3 would have to lie in the same vertical plane.

Springs 8 are symbolically represented. They can be in the form of coil, rubber or air springs seated on the back axle and which engage lever 7 at their upper end. Moreover, leaf springs can be used for the springs 8 which would correspond to the leaf springs 3 seated on the axle 2 and connected to lever 7 by bolts or double links. When the leaf springs are used for the springs 8, the elasticity of joint 6 in the longitudinal direction of frame 1 may not be suflicient because of the limited movement possible in the rubber bearing of joint 6. In this case, the elasticity of the joint 6 in the longitudinal direction of frame 1 is increased by substituting a double link joint for the rubber bearing joint.

As shown in FIGURE 2, a pair of levers 11 and 12 are used which extend transversely of frame 1. Each lever is connected to one of the frame members by a joint 13 having its axis of rotation parallel to the longitudinal axis of frame 1. Each free end of the lever extends outwardly of frame 1 so as to be engaged with the upper end of a spring 1. The truck body is supported on the levers 11 and 12 by means of a pair of joint 9a, each having its axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of frame 1. Joints 9a have rubber bearings to provide limited universal movement. The ratio of the lever arms a-f determines the proportion of the Weight of the body which is transferred through frame 1 to axle 2. In FIG- URE 2, each joint carries one-half the weight of the truck body, while in FIGURE 1, joint 9 receives the entire load of the front end of the truck body,

In FIGURE 2, springs 8 can be coil, rubber or air springs in the form of bellows springs. Such springs are sufiiciently elastic so that their upper ends can follow the horizontal components of the vertical movements of the free ends of levers 11 and 12.

In FIGURE 3, the rear end of the tractor is provided with two pairs of wheels 2a and 2b. The front ends of leaf springs 3a are connected to frame 1 by a bolt joint 4, and the rear ends of leaf springs 3b join frame 1 by a double link 5. The adjacent ends of springs 3a and 3b are connected to each other by means of a crank 14 connected to spring 3a by a double link 14a and to spring 3b by a bolt 14b. Crank 14 is pivotally attached to a bracket 15 secured to frame 1. An equalizer beam 16 engages the upper ends of springs 8 and supports the free end of lever 7. In FIGURE 1, a pair of levers 7 are used, one for each side of frame 1. In turn, pairs of springs 8 and beams 16 are used. Each beam 16 has equi-distant arms so that each spring 8, of which there are four, will support one-fourth of the weight on joint 9 in the ratio of the lever distances a to 7. As in FIG- URE 1, coil, rubber, air or leaf springs can be used as the springs 8. With due consideration to the twisting of the frame and the structural tolerances which exist because of the larger structure, the various joints and linkages have to be movably constructed, as by being formed of rubber.

In FIGURE 4, a pair of levers 7 are mounted beneath frame 1. These levers ordinarily lie in a horizontal plane so that the joints 6 and 9 will be as low as possible above the road surface, and so that the truck housing or trailer, during starting and stopping, will increase the load on the wheels at a reduced rate, and/or decrease the load on the Wheels. The housing is carried on joint 9 by means of a supporting pin 17 Otherwise the assembly is basically similar to that of FIGURE 1.

If, instead of trailer bodies, the bodies of ordinary trucks having one or several axles are to be spring-supported according to this invention, then joints 9 are provided on the bottoms of the truck bodies. A total of three or four joints 9 are used for each body with corresponding lever and spring assemblies. Otherwise the systems are as described above.

With vehicles having independently suspended and guided wheels, the springs 8 are supported on the wheel guide members. These guide members when used with coil, air or rubber springs instead of leaf springs can be in the form of longitudinally or transversely extending levers. When leaf springs are used, only transverse levers are require with the wheel guide members.

In FIGURE 5, the frame 1 of the vehicle has its front end supported on springs in the usual manner. It includes a front wheel drive and the drivers cab. Frame 1 is extended rearwardly by lever 7 to which is attached springs 3 and axle 2 for the rear wheels. The front ends of springs 3 are pivoted in bolt joints 4, while the rear ends of the leaf springs are connected to lever 7 by links 5. The forward end of lever 7 is pivotally connected to frame 1 by joint 6 so that the lever is verticall movable. The truck body is carried on the joint 9 on lever 7. The rear portion of frame 1 ends in front of axle 2 in the form of a prong 7a extending between lever 7 and the lower end of a hook-shaped bracket 7b attached to lever 7. Coil springs 20 and 2.1 are the body springs means and extend between prong 7a and bracket 7b and between prong 7a and lever 7, respectively These springs can be provided with conventional vibration dampeners.

In the spring support of FIGURE 5, road bumps are substantially stopped from being transmitted from the axle 2' to the frame 1 and the bouncing movements of the frame are changed into positive lifting movements. Thus optimum spring adjustment of the frame is obtained independently of an optimum spring adjustment for lever 7 which distributes the load of the truck body.

In the modification of FIGURE 6, the springs 20 and 21 extend horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the frame between downwardly extending flanges on the rear end of frame 1. Lever 7 engages the springs by means of a short lever 22. In FIGURE 7, the rear end of frame 1 has a pair of flanges spaced in a vertical plane which holds springs 20 and 21. In this modification, the short lever 22 extends horizontally into engagement with the springs. In FIGURE 8, the vehicle frame 1 is joined to the lever 7 by means of a joint 6 including one or more torsion springs 23.

Having now described the means by which the objects of the invention are obtained,

We claim:

1. A vehicle comprising a vehicle tractor frame having front wheels joined thereto, a truck body carrying frame forming a lever pivotally joined to said tractor frame, a bracket secured to said lever, vertically extending spring means between said bracket and said tractor frame for permitting relative vertical movement between said tractor frame and said truck body carrying frame, rear Wheel spring means attached to said bracket and to said lever, and rear wheels joined to said rear wheel spring means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1918 Lapham 28()-439 2/1927 Solon 267-l6 PHILIP GOODMAN, Prii'nary Examiner. 

